Film Screening:

Thelonious Monk: Straight No Chaser
(Charlotte Zwerin, 1988, 90 min, USA, in English, B/W & Color, DVD)

A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius. Much of the film is centered around the six months of footage cinematographer Christian Blackwood shot of Monk in1967-68. The footage reveals a lot about Monk's personality, including his dramatic mood swings, his eccentric behavior, as well as his sense of humor. The footage also shows Monk "behind the scenes" in the studio and on tour in Europe. Interviews, photos and many of Monk's songs round out this biography.

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Cost: Free and open to the public.

Sponsors: The Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the Program in the Arts of the Moving Image, and the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture